Rainy day tunes: Iska Dhaaf

With so much precipitation in the air, now is the perfect time to listen to some tunes from the Pacific Northwest. As Seattle natives, and soon to be New Yorkers, Iska Dhaaf is the perfect band to fill your ears over the sound of rain on your window, or in my case, dripping into a bucket in the middle of my living room.

The duo of Nathan Quiroga and Benjamin Verdoes, released their debut album Even the Sun Will Burn this spring on Brick Lane Records and I had the opportunity to catch them live at Baby’s All Right when they came through town a couple weeks ago. The set ranged in style and tempo, showcasing the pair’s exceptional songwriting skills. For a two person band, Iska Dhaaf filled the stage, bouncing from instrument to instrument and spilling over with energy. Their songs explore the highs and lows of human emotion- happy at times, cathartic at others.

Retro sounds meshed with flecks of psychedelic notes and catchy melodies make Even the Sun Will Burn an album made for the FM dial. The album toes the lines of punk without punching you in the face and stays within the bounds of “indie rock.” Needless to say, there was no moshing at Baby’s All Right on a relatively quiet Sunday night.